1) Technical Field
The subject invention relates to a seat belt restraint system for an integral automotive child seat.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Integral automotive child restraint seats are well known in the art. These child seats have a seat belt restraint system which typically includes a pair of shoulder belts, a pair of lap belts and a crotch belt. Examples of integral child seats are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,449,216; 5,466,043; 5,472,260; 5,653,504; and 5,704,684. Many integral child seat designs have separate lap belts, shoulder belts and crotch belt which are all mounted to the child seat at different mounting points. Some designs, however, have the lap belts integrally connected to the crotch belt underneath the child seat such that movement of the crotch belt will move the lap belts and vise versa. A deficiency with this design is that the lap and crotch belts may be inadvertently moved into an unsafe position. In other words, the lap belts and/or crotch belt may be moved to a position that does not correctly protect and restrain the child. Hence, it is desirable to have a device which automatically maintains the proper positioning of the lap and crotch belts.